Flagstick Flourishes in Unprecedented Times 11:14, 02/03/2021

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. And so it’s proved in the golf course design and construction industry since the onset of coronavirus rudely turned the world on its axis.

Yet as far as Martin Moore and his Flagstick team were concerned, the matter of a global pandemic was never going to be allowed to compromise their long-standing commitments to quality and customer service or derail their grand designs.

Despite a combination of stay-at-home orders, severely restricted travel and frustrating periods of compulsory quarantine, Moore is able to reflect on the most trying of years with justified pride.

“In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, Flagstick had a very busy 2020 and a hectic start to 2021,” said Moore, after completing his latest 14-day hotel quarantine in Ninh Binh in mid-February, followed by an additional seven days of self-quarantine in Flagstick’s Hanoi office/apartment.

Last year, Flagstick not only successfully completed a handful of projects, but also began planning on a variety of exciting new developments across Vietnam.

For a man accustomed to constantly being on the move and who has routinely spent 200-plus days on the road every year for the past two decades, Moore had to readjust his own plans – and mindset – as well as those of his staff.

With traditional methods of conducting golf course design and construction severely hampered and replaced by stringent new protocols and standard operating procedures, Moore adopted a creative approach to ensure work did not grind to a halt.

“We’re very fortunate to have more than 20 foreign staff based in Vietnam, along with a solid team of an additional 25-30 Vietnamese professionals. That enabled us to move forward without interruptions,” said Moore, who had the foresight to set up a representative office in Hanoi in 2016 as a sign of Flagstick’s commitment to Vietnam.

“With hindsight, I can say that’s been elemental in enabling us to serve our growing Vietnam clientele effectively and efficiently during the pandemic,” he added.

Although Moore spent much of 2020 in lockdown, like a conductor waving his baton, he seamlessly orchestrated proceedings from his Bangkok home/office – testament to the reputation the company has built as the world leader in golf course construction management.

With restricted site visits by course golf architects, alternative forms of communication with the on-the-ground Flagstick team were required.

“In order to keep up to speed with the architects through each stage of construction, we had many virtual video meetings, sharing photographs and drone shots of specific areas that were being worked on,” said Moore, safe in the knowledge that he could not be accused of flouting social distancing regulations.

“Flagstick was also fortunate to have talented management and shaper resources already based in Vietnam. Without that, it would have been exceptionally difficult to proceed,” he added.

In addition to its high-profile presence in Vietnam in 2020, Flagstick also celebrated the completion of a high-end Kyle Philips Design project on the outskirts of the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Now, though, Flagstick’s focus is firmly on Vietnam where Moore plans to remain for at least the next three to four months, doing what he loves most – being hands-on in the field, working side-by-side with his staff.

“It’s the intention for me to visit and support all the projects we have under construction. I’m also working on pre-construction planning of soon-to-start Flagstick projects,” said Moore, who is excited at the prospect of new developments in Haiphong, Quang Binh, Hoa Binh and Pleiku, all of which are due to get underway in the second and third quarters of 2021.

“The golf market in Vietnam continues to boom and Flagstick is proud to remain extremely active here, as well as pursuing other opportunities across Southeast Asia,” added Moore, who spent nine years with Nicklaus Design, managing golf course development projects throughout the Asia Pacific region before inaugurating Flagstick in 1998.

In the ensuing 22 years, Flagstick has managed more than 110 golf developments in 17 countries, in collaboration with many distinguished golf course architects, including Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones II, Nick Faldo, Tom Weiskopf, Rees Jones, Fred Couples, Lee Schmidt & Brian Curley, Golfplan and Kyle Phillips.

In recent years, Flagstick has managed the construction of six of Asia’s top-10 resorts with a host of Flagstick projects winning accolades around the globe. Despite the position of pre-eminence that Moore has earned, there will be no slowing down in the immediate future.

Moore said: “Now I’m back in Vietnam, I’m especially looking forward to meeting new prospects I’ve been communicating with over the past few months. After all the virtual meetings of these past 11 months, it will be a pleasure to return to face-to-face get-togethers. In the end, there’s no substitute for that.”

The highline projects of Flagstick:

• Serena Valley Golf Club (18 holes, Faldo Design):

Just north of Hanoi, work continued on this project throughout 2020 with the last hole being grassed in mid-February, 2021. Currently, sand is being installed in bunkers and final touch-up work is being carried out with a view to opening in mid-2021.

• NovaWorld Phan Thiet (36 holes, Greg Norman Design):

As of mid-February 2021, the 18-hole Ocean Course was completely grassed and in grow-in stage, while the 18-hole Garden Course was 75% complete. All construction on the site that sits high on a hillside with spectacular panoramic ocean views is scheduled to be completed by May, 2021. 

• Binh Tien Golf & Beach Resort (18 holes, Golfplan Design):

Having commenced work in the second quarter of 2020, nine holes are now grassed with construction completion set for June. This schedule was helped thanks to an extraordinary effort from course designer David Dale, who provided crucial input during a visit in December, 2020. Dale said: “During the pandemic, on-site architectural review of construction works has been significantly impacted. Flagstick’s team of highly qualified experts on the ground have been in constant contact, utilising WhatsApp, digital photography from ground level and drone still shots and videos for golf hole and feature review. These tools allowed us to communicate details specific to the course’s architectural character and direct refinements with photograph mark-ups. “Before I acquired Covid-19 free approval to visit the site, Flagstick’s team kept the project on schedule and we’re very pleased with the implementation of our design. Having spent a week on the ground with the Flagstick team, we didn’t miss any of the architectural details that will set this course apart in the coastal region of Vietnam.”

• Royal Golf Club (18 holes, Jack Nicklaus II Design):

A unique property littered in natural rock outcroppings in Ninh Binh, nine holes of the Queens Course have been grassed with completion of the full 18 scheduled for July. The course was creatively routed through the outcroppings, which were used as part of the strategy. To remain on track, daily drone footage was sent to Nicklaus Design’s Jim Wagner, while there was frequent communication and valuable input with Jack Nicklaus II. Wagner said: “Despite the challenges Covid-19 presented, Flagstick has gone to great lengths to ensure our design is implemented per the plans and concepts discussed in the field prior to travel shutting down. We’re confident the Queens Course will not only be a wonderful golfing experience, but will also perform at the level we expect, due to the high-quality construction standards typically associated with Nicklaus Design and Flagstick GCCM.”